Police claim Weston Park incident may not have involved an attacker

Police are now exploring the possibility that the suspected sexual assault on a 21-year-old in Weston Park may not have involved an attacker.

The incident which took place in Weston Park in the late hours of Monday 23rd January led to a mass manhunt and inspection of the Park in the following days. A young woman was reportedly seriously assaulted, lying unconscious for around two minutes.

Although the Police are unable to rule out the chances of criminal behaviour, they have now suggested that the incident may have been a “medical episode” rather than an attack.

A spokeswoman for South Yorkshire Police  said: “Working alongside the 21-year-old woman, we have interviewed numerous witnesses, analysed CCTV footage and collected and processed a number of forensic opportunities in order to establish exactly what happened during the few minutes the woman was unconscious.

“The woman has offered her full cooperation throughout the investigation and we have continued to support to her.

“We have updated her at every stage of the investigation and she remains supportive of the action we have taken.

“As we conducted enquiries, gathered evidence and information, it has become apparent that although a criminal act cannot be excluded, another explanation is that the woman’s collapse may have been due to a medical episode. We have a duty of care to anyone who reports a crime to us and will investigate any report thoroughly.

“Should any new information come to light regarding this incident, it will of course be looked in to.”